When you’ve been involved in a motorcycle accident that wasn’t your fault, it’s normal to wonder how much money you could receive in compensation.
There are quite a few different types of damage that you may be able to recover from the other driver or their insurance company after your motorcycle accident. The insurance company may settle with you for a certain amount, or you may need to go to court to pursue damages. Here are the main types of damages riders often seek out after being involved in an accident.
Repair Costs
It’s rare for a motorcycle to remain in good condition after an accident. Depending on how severe the crash was, there could be significant damage. If your insurance policy doesn’t cover the full repair costs, you can seek those through the other driver’s insurance. If your insurance policy covers your repair costs and the other driver is at fault, then your insurance company will go after the other company for the money.
Medical Expenses
Injuries are very common in motorcycle accidents, as you don’t have much protection. You could end up with heavy abrasions, bruising, fractured bones, a head injury or another medical issue. These can result in considerable costs, such as:
• Hospital and doctor bills
• Treatment in an emergency room
• Fees for an ambulance ride
• Physical therapy and rehab
These are often some of the biggest expenses after a motorcycle accident, making it crucial that you seek compensation for them.
Wages and Potential Earnings
If your injuries from the motorcycle accident keep you out of work, you can seek damages for those lost wages. When your injury is severe enough that it lowers your future earning potential, you can also seek damages for that.
Everyday Services
Let’s say that your injuries leave you unable to care for yourself or clean your house. If you need to hire someone to handle tasks that you can no longer do yourself because of your injuries, you can request compensation for that.
Pain and Suffering
In cases where an accident was severe enough to cause substantial loss of enjoyment in your life, a court may also award you money for your pain and suffering.
How to Receive Compensation for Your Damages
When you first start the claims process, you’ll be in contact with the other driver’s insurance company. They will try to come to an agreement with you regarding a settlement amount, and if you agree to a settlement, you won’t be able to pursue them for anything further later. If you and the insurance company can’t come to an agreement, then you can take the case to court.
Some damages are easier to get compensated than others. For a court to award you anything, you must prove that the damages were the result of the accident. This can be simple with repair bills, medical expenses and lost wages. It gets more difficult when future earnings are involved or when you’re trying to prove pain and suffering.
Another challenge with these types of damages is that they’re harder to quantify. With medical expenses, you can provide your bills related to the accident. It takes more calculations and estimates when it comes to lost potential earnings or pain and suffering.
During the claims process, you don’t want to give the other driver’s insurance company more information than necessary. They may send you a release form authorizing them to pull all your medical records, but that’s too much information. They may comb through your records for anything that would let them claim you had a preexisting condition before the accident. It’s better to only provide records related to the accident.
To ensure that you don’t give away too much information and to help you get all the compensation you deserve, it’s in your best interest to consult with an LA motorcycle attorney. You can have a lawyer represent you when you’re going through the insurance claims process and later if you end up in court, and it helps to have someone who knows the ins and outs of the system fighting for you.